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They're going out on top, but did Brevard's only professional sports team strike out with the county?

After three seasons in Viera, the USSSA (United States Specialty Sports Association) Pride announced this weekend they will not renew their contract with the National Pro Fastpitch league after winning the six-team circuit in 2018 and 2019. The departure is effective Dec. 31.

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Nicole DeWitt of the USSSA Pride makes contact during an exhibition game in Viera against the Czech National Team.(Photo: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY)

For Brevard County, the prestige of having a local dateline in sports pages and digital stories will be lost without a team in a professional league. The stadium complex previously was the spring-training home of several major league baseball teams, as well as the full season home of several minor league baseball teams.

However, Space Coast Office of Tourism Executive Director Peter Cranis said he does not expect the Pride leaving the National Pro Fastpitch league to have a major impact on local tourism.

That's because most of USSSA's local operations focus on youth and adult baseball and softball tournaments played at the USSSA Space Coast Complex. Those events draw players and their families from throughout the country to the Space Coast year-round, and many stay at local hotels, eat at local restaurants and shop at local retail establishments.

"That's the core of their business," Cranis said.

Additionally, Cranis said, the USSSA Pride will remain a professional team — albeit playing an independent schedule outside of the National Pro Fastpitch league.

Cranis said he expects the impact on tourism from the switch to be negligible, compared with what the USSSA generates in hotel room rentals through its other events. Those "room nights," in turn, generate sales tax revenue for the county, as well as revenue from a 5% Tourist Development Tax on hotel rooms and other short-term rentals. The Tourist Development Tax pays for the Office of Tourism's operations.

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Hundreds of fans turned in suggestions to name the new USSSA Pride pro softball mascot.
Florida Today

So, what does the Pride leaving the league mean off the bat?

• There no longer will be hot summer nights at the stadium involving league opponents such as Australia, Beijing, Canada, Chicago and Cleveland.

• But major college teams will be making appearances in Viera. Already lined up for Nov. 16 are games between the Pride and Florida State, and another game between Florida and FSU, according to the Seminoles' softball schedule.

• The Pride, who plan on announcing a 2020 schedule soon, also could be playing Team USA in preparation for the Olympics, as well as the Houston ScrapYard Dogs, who also departed from the league after winning the 2017 title, and feature superstar pitcher Monica Abbott.

The Pride will remain a professional entity, although playing as an independent team, they would take on the barnstorming role of, say, the Harlem Globetrotters, without the confetti pail, the fancy dribbling and the comic antics.

The statement issued Friday by the Pride read: "Today, USSSA provided notice to the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league that USSSA will not be renewing its partnership with the organization in 2020. We thank the NPF for its contributions and collaboration over the past 11 years and hold in high regard all that our organizations have accomplished together.

"As we move into 2020, USSSA is proud to continue our mission of being the most-trusted resource in fastpitch. We look forward to continuing to provide a platform for every female athlete in fastpitch to play the sport they love."

No specific reason for the departure was given. Messages left for Pride General Manager Don DeDonatis were not returned.

USSSA Pride softball players sign autographs for fans after a game at the USSSA Space Coast Sports Complex in Viera.(Photo: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY)

National Pro Fastpitch Commissioner Cheri Kempf issued a statement on Twitter that read: "Today's notification by USSSA to not continue w/ their NPF franchise is unfortunate, but not unexpected. For a decade, USSSA was a tremendous supporter of NPF, under the reign of their previous Board of Directors, and former CEO, Don DeDonatis. We are certainly grateful for their contribution."

The Pride, who had been in the NPF since the team was founded in 2009, won seven regular-season titles and five Cowles Cup championships. The Pride were first based at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee before moving to Viera three years ago.

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The former Space Coast Stadium complex in Viera is now known as the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Viera.(Photo: ARRON LAMPKIN/FOR FLORIDA TODAY)

The facility previously known as Space Coast Stadium had been the spring-training home to the Florida Marlins (1994-2002), Montreal Expos (2003-2004) and Washington Nationals (2005-2016), who left for a new complex in West Palm Beach. Minor league teams have included the Brevard County Manatees (with parent clubs Florida and Milwaukee), and the Gulf Coast Marlins and Nationals, who occasionally would play in the stadium.

The facility opened in March 1994, and reopened as a renovated baseball/softball complex in 2017. It now includes 14 diamonds.

The county paid $10 million for installing AstroTurf on those fields as part of an agreement with USSSA.

The county has a separate lease agreement with USSSA for the organization's use of the fields, Cranis said the Pride dropping out of the National Pro Fastpitch league does not violate that lease agreement.

The Women's Baseball World Cup was played at the stadium last year, while high school baseball games occupy the field in the spring, supplementing the year-round baseball and softball tournaments held in the complex.

Based on social media messages, Pride players seemed to be going with the flow of the team's new venture.

Tweeted former Eau Gallie High and FSU star Alex Powers: "Really excited for what's to come! Playing current and soon to be Olympians, working directly with our youth athletes of the game, and being close partners with our @USSSAFastpitch directors ... The future is bright for USSSA Fastpitch!

Third baseman Jesse Warren of FSU also tweeted: "Yes, you are reading that correctly!! @FSU_Softball vs. @USSSAPride !!!!!! So excited if you can’t tell !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

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Artificial turf and an elaborate scoreboard have been installed at the main stadium as part of the upgrades to the USSSA Space Coast Stadium in Viera.(Photo: ARRON LAMPKIN/FOR FLORIDA TODAY)

Other players in the league took a more cautious approach about the Pride's departure.

Former Pride pitcher Jordan Taylor said in her tweet: "With allllll the speculating going on with the Pride decision to leave the NPF after 11 years, I’m just left here wondering HOW none of it is concerning the NPF and the clear lack of leadership/ failing business model."

Kempf told Softball America: "The league has dealt with adversity before, due to the fact that we are a very young professional sports league, and we will likely deal with adversity again."

The league promoted itself by playing in cities not affiliated directly with the teams, such as Kansas City, Kansas; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Wichita, Kansas; and Columbus, Ohio. It had a TV contract with CBS Sports three years ago, but lost that.

This season, it was difficult to gauge how powerful the Pride could have been coming off a 45-5 record in 2018. Three starters missed the regular season due to Team USA commitments; legendary slugger Lauren Chamberlain announced her retirement just before the season began; and infielder Sierra Romero suffered a season-ending injury in a preseason exhibition game.

Immediately following the championship season, veteran Kelly Kretschman, a former Satellite High star and two-time Olympic medalist, also announced her retirement from the league and planned to play in Japan.

The Pride even hired their first mascot, Apollo, late in the season.

As of now, the NPF's 17th season will include the Chicago Bandits, the Aussie Peppers of Minnesota, the Beijing Shougang Eagles (based in Daytona Beach), the Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois and the Cleveland Comets.